October 2008 Urban Land ULX Web extra

1. 70 U r b a n La N D o c t o b e r 2 0 0 8
ulx R o n N y r e n
BrownfieldBoons
Ten developments show
how brownfield sites can
bring economic, social, and
environmental benefits to
their communities.
Though they often suffer
from both environmental con-
tamination and social stigma,
abandoned or underused indus-
trial, military, and commercial
sites have become increasingly
valuable as developable land
grows scarce. Redevelopment of
brownfields can benefit the sur-
rounding communities—by remov-
ing a source of blight, relieving
development pressure on nearby
greenfields, and helping to curb
sprawl—but attention to design as
well as to the project’s social and
economic impacts also is essen-
tial to making the most of these
sites. Thorough environmental
remediation, the use of sustain-
able design strategies, integration
with the surrounding streets and
the urban context, the addition of
public transit, the introduction of
a careful mix of uses responsive
to the local market, and measures
to avoid gentrification and provide
affordable housing and local jobs
are all ways that brownfield devel-
opments can not only reverse
the damage wrought by years of
neglect, but also enhance the
urban realm.
Ron Nyren is a freelance architecture and urban
design writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The brightly colored contemporary architecture of the
Point residential complex is one of many signs of the
regeneration of Bristol’s historic harbor. Designed by
Feilden Clegg Bradley of Bath, England, and com-
pleted at the end of 2001, the Point consists of 105
apartments, nine townhouses, and a café in five build-
ings spaced to allow for public
access to the waterfront, with
extensive public areas along
the water and a new public
square. Restoring access to the
harbor is the theme for the rest
of Bristol Harbourside as well.
The 65-acre (26-ha) site once
comprised industrial uses and
docklands that thrived in the
17th and 18th centuries but fell
into decline by the middle of
the 20th century. Bristol’s city
council brought together land-
owners and developers to
create a framework for redevel-
opment in the early 1990s. Since then, former ware-
houses have been refurbished for entertainment and
leisure attractions as well as offices; new, active
public spaces have been created; and attractions that
draw tourists, such as a science and discovery center,
have been added.
SimonDoling/FeildenCleggBradleyStudios
1.BristolHarbourside
bristol, United Kingdom

2. 70 U r b a n La N D o c t o b e r 2 0 0 8
ulx R o n N y r e n
BrownfieldBoons
Ten developments show
how brownfield sites can
bring economic, social, and
environmental benefits to
their communities.
Though they often suffer
from both environmental con-
tamination and social stigma,
abandoned or underused indus-
trial, military, and commercial
sites have become increasingly
valuable as developable land
grows scarce. Redevelopment of
brownfields can benefit the sur-
rounding communities—by remov-
ing a source of blight, relieving
development pressure on nearby
greenfields, and helping to curb
sprawl—but attention to design as
well as to the project’s social and
economic impacts also is essen-
tial to making the most of these
sites. Thorough environmental
remediation, the use of sustain-
able design strategies, integration
with the surrounding streets and
the urban context, the addition of
public transit, the introduction of
a careful mix of uses responsive
to the local market, and measures
to avoid gentrification and provide
affordable housing and local jobs
are all ways that brownfield devel-
opments can not only reverse
the damage wrought by years of
neglect, but also enhance the
urban realm.
Ron Nyren is a freelance architecture and urban
design writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The brightly colored contemporary architecture of the
Point residential complex is one of many signs of the
regeneration of Bristol’s historic harbor. Designed by
Feilden Clegg Bradley of Bath, England, and com-
pleted at the end of 2001, the Point consists of 105
apartments, nine townhouses, and a café in five build-
ings spaced to allow for public
access to the waterfront, with
extensive public areas along
the water and a new public
square. Restoring access to the
harbor is the theme for the rest
of Bristol Harbourside as well.
The 65-acre (26-ha) site once
comprised industrial uses and
docklands that thrived in the
17th and 18th centuries but fell
into decline by the middle of
the 20th century. Bristol’s city
council brought together land-
owners and developers to
create a framework for redevel-
opment in the early 1990s. Since then, former ware-
houses have been refurbished for entertainment and
leisure attractions as well as offices; new, active
public spaces have been created; and attractions that
draw tourists, such as a science and discovery center,
have been added.
SimonDoling/FeildenCleggBradleyStudios
1.BristolHarbourside
bristol, United Kingdom

3. o c t o b e r 2 0 0 8 U r b a n La n D 71
4.DublinDocklands
Dublin, Ireland
The angled red poles of the new Grand Canal Square, designed by London-based
landscape architect Martha Schwartz Partners Ltd., and the transformation of an 1880s
gas plant into a 210-unit apartment building by Dublin’s O’Mahony Pike Architects—
reusing the plant’s original cast-iron frame—are just two markers of the regeneration of
1,300 acres (526 ha) of land on the east side of Dublin, including 247 acres (100 ha) of
mostly abandoned docklands along the River Liffey. When Ireland’s parliament created
the Dublin Docklands Development Authority in 1997, the area’s population of 17,500
suffered from high unemployment. Since then, the number of residents has grown to
25,000 (and is expected to reach 42,500 by completion in 2012), and development has
transformed the area into a financial business center: more than 807,290 square feet
(75,000 sq m) of office development was completed in 2007 alone, with major employ-
ers, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, taking up residence. Between 1997 and 2007,
the number of workers employed in the Docklands rose from 20,000 to more than
40,000. Residential and retail development has grown considerably as well.
CanaryWharfGroup
3.DocksideGreen
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Turning brownfield industrial lands into green, the first residential phase of Dockside Green,
called Synergy, earned a Platinum certification with the highest score to date in the U.S.
Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
rating system. Completed this year and designed by Dockside Green’s master planner, Busby
Perkins+Will of Vancouver, Canada, the four buildings include townhouses, condominiums, and
ground-floor commercial uses. Within the next ten years, the 15-acre (6-ha) Dockside Green, in
the city of Victoria’s core, is intended to include 26 structures. Codeveloped by Vancouver-based
Vancity Enterprises and Victoria-based Windmill West, Dockside Green is expected to include
1,000 dwelling units and half a million square feet (46,450 sq m) of commercial and retail
space—all targeted to achieve LEED Platinum ratings. The waterfront community’s sustainable
strategies include a biomass gasification plant running on local wood waste to provide heat and
hot water; a vehicle co-op for residents with
hybrids and smart cars; a wastewater treat-
ment plant designed to reuse graywater;
stormwater retention ponds; and a variety
of energy-saving measures.
EnricoDagostini
2.CanaryWharf
London, United Kingdom
The economic success of Canary Wharf prepared the way for many of the
other projects on this list. In 1980, the London Docklands Development
Corporation laid the infrastructure for reviving more than 97 acres (39 ha)
of the now-obsolete London Docklands: the first of two light-rail stations
opened in 1987, and a station for the high-speed Jubilee Line opened
in 1999. The owner, Canary Wharf Group, has continued to expand the
development since the first office building, One Canada Square, opened
in 1991; Canary Wharf has become one of the world’s largest financial
business centers, with about 14.1 million square feet (1,309,932 sq m)
of office and retail space built so far and more than 93,000 workers. The
Wood Wharf Limited Partnership is now working on a plan for the 6.5 mil-
lion-square-foot (603,870-sq-m) redevelopment of Wood Wharf, adjacent
to Canary Wharf, incorporating retail and leisure uses as well as 1,400
residences; the Canary Wharf Group is planning the two office towers of
Riverside South, which recently lured U.S. bank JP Morgan Chase to move
its new 1 million-square-foot (92,903-sq-m) European headquarters away
from a planned location in the City of London.
©TimCrocker2007

4. o c t o b e r 2 0 0 8 U r b a n La n D 71
4.DublinDocklands
Dublin, Ireland
The angled red poles of the new Grand Canal Square, designed by London-based
landscape architect Martha Schwartz Partners Ltd., and the transformation of an 1880s
gas plant into a 210-unit apartment building by Dublin’s O’Mahony Pike Architects—
reusing the plant’s original cast-iron frame—are just two markers of the regeneration of
1,300 acres (526 ha) of land on the east side of Dublin, including 247 acres (100 ha) of
mostly abandoned docklands along the River Liffey. When Ireland’s parliament created
the Dublin Docklands Development Authority in 1997, the area’s population of 17,500
suffered from high unemployment. Since then, the number of residents has grown to
25,000 (and is expected to reach 42,500 by completion in 2012), and development has
transformed the area into a financial business center: more than 807,290 square feet
(75,000 sq m) of office development was completed in 2007 alone, with major employ-
ers, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, taking up residence. Between 1997 and 2007,
the number of workers employed in the Docklands rose from 20,000 to more than
40,000. Residential and retail development has grown considerably as well.
CanaryWharfGroup
3.DocksideGreen
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Turning brownfield industrial lands into green, the first residential phase of Dockside Green,
called Synergy, earned a Platinum certification with the highest score to date in the U.S.
Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
rating system. Completed this year and designed by Dockside Green’s master planner, Busby
Perkins+Will of Vancouver, Canada, the four buildings include townhouses, condominiums, and
ground-floor commercial uses. Within the next ten years, the 15-acre (6-ha) Dockside Green, in
the city of Victoria’s core, is intended to include 26 structures. Codeveloped by Vancouver-based
Vancity Enterprises and Victoria-based Windmill West, Dockside Green is expected to include
1,000 dwelling units and half a million square feet (46,450 sq m) of commercial and retail
space—all targeted to achieve LEED Platinum ratings. The waterfront community’s sustainable
strategies include a biomass gasification plant running on local wood waste to provide heat and
hot water; a vehicle co-op for residents with
hybrids and smart cars; a wastewater treat-
ment plant designed to reuse graywater;
stormwater retention ponds; and a variety
of energy-saving measures.
EnricoDagostini
2.CanaryWharf
London, United Kingdom
The economic success of Canary Wharf prepared the way for many of the
other projects on this list. In 1980, the London Docklands Development
Corporation laid the infrastructure for reviving more than 97 acres (39 ha)
of the now-obsolete London Docklands: the first of two light-rail stations
opened in 1987, and a station for the high-speed Jubilee Line opened
in 1999. The owner, Canary Wharf Group, has continued to expand the
development since the first office building, One Canada Square, opened
in 1991; Canary Wharf has become one of the world’s largest financial
business centers, with about 14.1 million square feet (1,309,932 sq m)
of office and retail space built so far and more than 93,000 workers. The
Wood Wharf Limited Partnership is now working on a plan for the 6.5 mil-
lion-square-foot (603,870-sq-m) redevelopment of Wood Wharf, adjacent
to Canary Wharf, incorporating retail and leisure uses as well as 1,400
residences; the Canary Wharf Group is planning the two office towers of
Riverside South, which recently lured U.S. bank JP Morgan Chase to move
its new 1 million-square-foot (92,903-sq-m) European headquarters away
from a planned location in the City of London.
©TimCrocker2007

5. o c t o b e r 2 0 0 8 U r b a n La n D 71
4.DublinDocklands
Dublin, Ireland
The angled red poles of the new Grand Canal Square, designed by London-based
landscape architect Martha Schwartz Partners Ltd., and the transformation of an 1880s
gas plant into a 210-unit apartment building by Dublin’s O’Mahony Pike Architects—
reusing the plant’s original cast-iron frame—are just two markers of the regeneration of
1,300 acres (526 ha) of land on the east side of Dublin, including 247 acres (100 ha) of
mostly abandoned docklands along the River Liffey. When Ireland’s parliament created
the Dublin Docklands Development Authority in 1997, the area’s population of 17,500
suffered from high unemployment. Since then, the number of residents has grown to
25,000 (and is expected to reach 42,500 by completion in 2012), and development has
transformed the area into a financial business center: more than 807,290 square feet
(75,000 sq m) of office development was completed in 2007 alone, with major employ-
ers, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, taking up residence. Between 1997 and 2007,
the number of workers employed in the Docklands rose from 20,000 to more than
40,000. Residential and retail development has grown considerably as well.
CanaryWharfGroup
3.DocksideGreen
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Turning brownfield industrial lands into green, the first residential phase of Dockside Green,
called Synergy, earned a Platinum certification with the highest score to date in the U.S.
Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
rating system. Completed this year and designed by Dockside Green’s master planner, Busby
Perkins+Will of Vancouver, Canada, the four buildings include townhouses, condominiums, and
ground-floor commercial uses. Within the next ten years, the 15-acre (6-ha) Dockside Green, in
the city of Victoria’s core, is intended to include 26 structures. Codeveloped by Vancouver-based
Vancity Enterprises and Victoria-based Windmill West, Dockside Green is expected to include
1,000 dwelling units and half a million square feet (46,450 sq m) of commercial and retail
space—all targeted to achieve LEED Platinum ratings. The waterfront community’s sustainable
strategies include a biomass gasification plant running on local wood waste to provide heat and
hot water; a vehicle co-op for residents with
hybrids and smart cars; a wastewater treat-
ment plant designed to reuse graywater;
stormwater retention ponds; and a variety
of energy-saving measures.
EnricoDagostini
2.CanaryWharf
London, United Kingdom
The economic success of Canary Wharf prepared the way for many of the
other projects on this list. In 1980, the London Docklands Development
Corporation laid the infrastructure for reviving more than 97 acres (39 ha)
of the now-obsolete London Docklands: the first of two light-rail stations
opened in 1987, and a station for the high-speed Jubilee Line opened
in 1999. The owner, Canary Wharf Group, has continued to expand the
development since the first office building, One Canada Square, opened
in 1991; Canary Wharf has become one of the world’s largest financial
business centers, with about 14.1 million square feet (1,309,932 sq m)
of office and retail space built so far and more than 93,000 workers. The
Wood Wharf Limited Partnership is now working on a plan for the 6.5 mil-
lion-square-foot (603,870-sq-m) redevelopment of Wood Wharf, adjacent
to Canary Wharf, incorporating retail and leisure uses as well as 1,400
residences; the Canary Wharf Group is planning the two office towers of
Riverside South, which recently lured U.S. bank JP Morgan Chase to move
its new 1 million-square-foot (92,903-sq-m) European headquarters away
from a planned location in the City of London.
©TimCrocker2007

6. 6.KendallSquareRedevelopment
Cambridge, Massachusetts
A coal gasification plant occupied Kendall Square for nearly
a century, and its closure left the soil contaminated with coal
tar—a significant deterrent to development despite the prime
location on the east side of Cambridge, Massachusetts, a block
from the Charles River and the campus of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. In 1998, Hanover, New Hampshire–
based developer Lyme Properties purchased the ten-acre (4-ha)
site and, after environmental remediation, began creating a
1.3 million-square-foot (120,774-sq-m) mixed-use redevelop-
ment. The most prominent building—the biotech firm Genzyme
Corporation’s world headquarters—was designed by Stuttgart,
Germany–based Behnisch Architekten and completed in 2003.
With a Platinum LEED rating, the 344,400-square-foot (32,000-sq-
m) structure lets in plenty of daylight through its highly insulated
glass curtain wall; the landscaped central atrium connects all
floors and facilitates natural ventilation, allowing warm air to
rise and exhaust at the top. Heliostats, mirrors, and reflective
mobiles reflect daylight into the interior spaces. Kendall Square
has since become a major life-sciences and biotechnology hub,
with office buildings supplemented by residences, retail shops,
2.5 acres (1 ha) of open space, and activities such as a farmers
market, concerts, and winter ice skating.
AntonGrassl
72 U r b a n La N D o c t o b e r 2 0 0 8
ulx
5.U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency
Region8Headquarters
Denver, Colorado
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wanted its
Region 8 headquarters to embody its mission to protect
human health and the environment, while also fitting
in with the historic buildings of Denver’s lower down-
town district. Completed in 2007 by Minneapolis-based
developer Opus Northwest LLC and designed by Zimmer
Gunsul Frasca Architects of Portland, Oregon, the nine-
story, 292,000-square-foot (27,128-sq-m) office building
earned a Gold LEED rating. Constructed on a brownfield
site that was formerly home to a U.S. postal annex, it is
close to many public transit options. Its green roof soaks
up stormwater. Extensive energy simulations influenced
the building’s shape and siting: two L-shaped wings
flank a central atrium. The red-brick base and ground-
floor retail storefronts reflect the historic context, while
the glass curtain wall system incorporates south-facing
horizontal sunshades and internal light shelves that miti-
gate solar gain. To maximize daylight penetration cost-
effectively, parabolically shaped fabric sails hang below
the atrium’s skylight to reflect sunlight into office floors
and control glare.
RobertCanfield

7. 6.KendallSquareRedevelopment
Cambridge, Massachusetts
A coal gasification plant occupied Kendall Square for nearly
a century, and its closure left the soil contaminated with coal
tar—a significant deterrent to development despite the prime
location on the east side of Cambridge, Massachusetts, a block
from the Charles River and the campus of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. In 1998, Hanover, New Hampshire–
based developer Lyme Properties purchased the ten-acre (4-ha)
site and, after environmental remediation, began creating a
1.3 million-square-foot (120,774-sq-m) mixed-use redevelop-
ment. The most prominent building—the biotech firm Genzyme
Corporation’s world headquarters—was designed by Stuttgart,
Germany–based Behnisch Architekten and completed in 2003.
With a Platinum LEED rating, the 344,400-square-foot (32,000-sq-
m) structure lets in plenty of daylight through its highly insulated
glass curtain wall; the landscaped central atrium connects all
floors and facilitates natural ventilation, allowing warm air to
rise and exhaust at the top. Heliostats, mirrors, and reflective
mobiles reflect daylight into the interior spaces. Kendall Square
has since become a major life-sciences and biotechnology hub,
with office buildings supplemented by residences, retail shops,
2.5 acres (1 ha) of open space, and activities such as a farmers
market, concerts, and winter ice skating.
AntonGrassl
72 U r b a n La N D o c t o b e r 2 0 0 8
ulx
5.U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency
Region8Headquarters
Denver, Colorado
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wanted its
Region 8 headquarters to embody its mission to protect
human health and the environment, while also fitting
in with the historic buildings of Denver’s lower down-
town district. Completed in 2007 by Minneapolis-based
developer Opus Northwest LLC and designed by Zimmer
Gunsul Frasca Architects of Portland, Oregon, the nine-
story, 292,000-square-foot (27,128-sq-m) office building
earned a Gold LEED rating. Constructed on a brownfield
site that was formerly home to a U.S. postal annex, it is
close to many public transit options. Its green roof soaks
up stormwater. Extensive energy simulations influenced
the building’s shape and siting: two L-shaped wings
flank a central atrium. The red-brick base and ground-
floor retail storefronts reflect the historic context, while
the glass curtain wall system incorporates south-facing
horizontal sunshades and internal light shelves that miti-
gate solar gain. To maximize daylight penetration cost-
effectively, parabolically shaped fabric sails hang below
the atrium’s skylight to reflect sunlight into office floors
and control glare.
RobertCanfield

8. o c t o b e r 2 0 0 8 U r b a n La n D 73
7.MelbourneDocklands
Melbourne, victoria, Australia
Originally marshlands, the Melbourne Docklands became
the city’s transportation hub in the late 1880s, then went
into decline during the 1970s. In the 1990s, the govern-
ment of the state of Victoria began creating a framework to
facilitate private sector development. The state owns the
land and funds the urban development agency, Vic­Urban,
which is responsible for managing development and build-
ing transportation infrastructure. Located on the Victoria
Harbour and the Yarra River adjacent to Melbourne’s
downtown, the Melbourne Docklands occupy more than
494 acres (200 ha) along 4.3 miles (7 km) of waterfront;
the project consists of nine precincts that comprise a
mix of residential, commercial, retail, entertainment, and
leisure uses as well as extensive waterfront open space.
Projects completed this year include the retail precinct
Merchant Street and the Gauge, a six-story office building
constructed with strong water-conserving measures and an
on-site electricity cogeneration system. About one-third of
the Melbourne Docklands has been finished, with 3,200
apartments built or under construction: currently, the dis-
trict has about 6,000 residents, 10,000 workers, and 8 mil-
lion visitors per year. Completion is slated for 2020.
8.RainierCourt
Seattle, Washington
The heart of Rainier Valley, one of Seattle’s poorest neighborhoods, had long been blighted by
dilapidated warehouses and weed-choked fields used as an illegal dumping ground, with addi-
tional contamination from industrial and manufacturing uses. In the 1990s, the county and city
of Seattle helped the local not-for-profit community development corporation SouthEast Effective
Development (SEED) obtain assistance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, secure
low-interest loans and federal grants, acquire seven acres (3 ha), and clean up the site. Working
with the nonprofit organization Senior Housing Assistance Group of Puyallup, Washington, and
Seattle-based architecture firm Johnson Braund Design Group, Inc., SEED planned and designed
a mixed-use housing and retail development to spark revitalization of the area. The first of four
phases, Courtland Place—a seven-story structure with 208 low-income apartments for seniors
organized around two interior courtyards—was completed in 2004. The Dakota, completed two
years later, consists of 178 affordable apartment units for families in two buildings. Both Court-
land Place and the Dakota have commercial tenant space and parking on the ground floor.
DiannaSnape
SteveAllwine
SteveAllwine

9. o c t o b e r 2 0 0 8 U r b a n La n D 73
7.MelbourneDocklands
Melbourne, victoria, Australia
Originally marshlands, the Melbourne Docklands became
the city’s transportation hub in the late 1880s, then went
into decline during the 1970s. In the 1990s, the govern-
ment of the state of Victoria began creating a framework to
facilitate private sector development. The state owns the
land and funds the urban development agency, Vic­Urban,
which is responsible for managing development and build-
ing transportation infrastructure. Located on the Victoria
Harbour and the Yarra River adjacent to Melbourne’s
downtown, the Melbourne Docklands occupy more than
494 acres (200 ha) along 4.3 miles (7 km) of waterfront;
the project consists of nine precincts that comprise a
mix of residential, commercial, retail, entertainment, and
leisure uses as well as extensive waterfront open space.
Projects completed this year include the retail precinct
Merchant Street and the Gauge, a six-story office building
constructed with strong water-conserving measures and an
on-site electricity cogeneration system. About one-third of
the Melbourne Docklands has been finished, with 3,200
apartments built or under construction: currently, the dis-
trict has about 6,000 residents, 10,000 workers, and 8 mil-
lion visitors per year. Completion is slated for 2020.
8.RainierCourt
Seattle, Washington
The heart of Rainier Valley, one of Seattle’s poorest neighborhoods, had long been blighted by
dilapidated warehouses and weed-choked fields used as an illegal dumping ground, with addi-
tional contamination from industrial and manufacturing uses. In the 1990s, the county and city
of Seattle helped the local not-for-profit community development corporation SouthEast Effective
Development (SEED) obtain assistance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, secure
low-interest loans and federal grants, acquire seven acres (3 ha), and clean up the site. Working
with the nonprofit organization Senior Housing Assistance Group of Puyallup, Washington, and
Seattle-based architecture firm Johnson Braund Design Group, Inc., SEED planned and designed
a mixed-use housing and retail development to spark revitalization of the area. The first of four
phases, Courtland Place—a seven-story structure with 208 low-income apartments for seniors
organized around two interior courtyards—was completed in 2004. The Dakota, completed two
years later, consists of 178 affordable apartment units for families in two buildings. Both Court-
land Place and the Dakota have commercial tenant space and parking on the ground floor.
DiannaSnape
SteveAllwine
SteveAllwine

10. 74 U r b a n La N D o c t o b e r 2 0 0 8
10.ScharnhauserPark
Ostfildern, Germany
After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the U.S. military began withdrawing from
Ostfildern, Germany. The base closing freed up 346 acres (140 ha) at the
town’s center—a stroke of good fortune for a town facing a housing crunch.
The municipality bought two-thirds of the site from the German government
and worked with developer Hofkammer Württemberg of Ostfildern, which
owned the rest, to bring in master planner Janson + Wolfrum of Munich.
The master plan spelled out a mixed-use development with schools, a
commercial center, a sports center, a town hall, and 3,500 housing units
in a mix of semidetached residences, terraced houses, townhomes, luxury
flats, and apartments. The population has already reached 6,000, and is
expected to rise to 9,000 by completion in 2012. Housing and public build-
ings meet high energy-efficiency standards, and the district heating system
burns wood waste. A 20-minute light-rail ride connects the village to Stuttgart’s
city center; private parking spaces are limited to one per housing unit. The
village’s layout highlights the site’s natural beauty with extensive open
space, pedestrian-friendly circulation, and plenty of trees. UL
ulx
9.RiverCity
Prague, Czech Republic
Along the Vltava River not far from the heart of Prague, on a
peninsula long used for illegal dumping, a mixed-use district
called River City is extending the suburb of Karlín into former
rail yards. Developed by the Prague office of Europolis, River
City incorporates offices, a hotel, retail
uses, structured parking, and landscaped
open space. The first building, Danube
House, was completed in 2003; designed
by London-based Kohn Pedersen Fox
Associates (KPF), its 11 floors above two
levels of underground structured parking
contain 213,125 square feet (19,800 sq
m) of office space and 12,916 square feet
(1,200 sq m) of restaurants and retail.
The seven-story Nile House, designed by
KPF with Prague-based Atrea, followed
two years later, with 189,983 square feet
(17,650 sq m) of office space, 18,298
square feet (1,700 sq m) of retail, and
two levels of underground parking.
The buildings emphasize sustainable
strategies, with natural ventilation and
extensive use of energy-efficiency mea-
sures. Future phases of River City include
a mixed-use structure, a 210-room hotel, and a 100-room
“aparthotel” for short and medium-length stays.
EuropolisRealEstateAssetManagementGmbH
EuropolisRealEstateAssetManagementGmbH
Janson+Wolfrum

11. 74 U r b a n La N D o c t o b e r 2 0 0 8
10.ScharnhauserPark
Ostfildern, Germany
After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the U.S. military began withdrawing from
Ostfildern, Germany. The base closing freed up 346 acres (140 ha) at the
town’s center—a stroke of good fortune for a town facing a housing crunch.
The municipality bought two-thirds of the site from the German government
and worked with developer Hofkammer Württemberg of Ostfildern, which
owned the rest, to bring in master planner Janson + Wolfrum of Munich.
The master plan spelled out a mixed-use development with schools, a
commercial center, a sports center, a town hall, and 3,500 housing units
in a mix of semidetached residences, terraced houses, townhomes, luxury
flats, and apartments. The population has already reached 6,000, and is
expected to rise to 9,000 by completion in 2012. Housing and public build-
ings meet high energy-efficiency standards, and the district heating system
burns wood waste. A 20-minute light-rail ride connects the village to Stuttgart’s
city center; private parking spaces are limited to one per housing unit. The
village’s layout highlights the site’s natural beauty with extensive open
space, pedestrian-friendly circulation, and plenty of trees. UL
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9.RiverCity
Prague, Czech Republic
Along the Vltava River not far from the heart of Prague, on a
peninsula long used for illegal dumping, a mixed-use district
called River City is extending the suburb of Karlín into former
rail yards. Developed by the Prague office of Europolis, River
City incorporates offices, a hotel, retail
uses, structured parking, and landscaped
open space. The first building, Danube
House, was completed in 2003; designed
by London-based Kohn Pedersen Fox
Associates (KPF), its 11 floors above two
levels of underground structured parking
contain 213,125 square feet (19,800 sq
m) of office space and 12,916 square feet
(1,200 sq m) of restaurants and retail.
The seven-story Nile House, designed by
KPF with Prague-based Atrea, followed
two years later, with 189,983 square feet
(17,650 sq m) of office space, 18,298
square feet (1,700 sq m) of retail, and
two levels of underground parking.
The buildings emphasize sustainable
strategies, with natural ventilation and
extensive use of energy-efficiency mea-
sures. Future phases of River City include
a mixed-use structure, a 210-room hotel, and a 100-room
“aparthotel” for short and medium-length stays.
EuropolisRealEstateAssetManagementGmbH
EuropolisRealEstateAssetManagementGmbH
Janson+Wolfrum